the name of Reynolds, and it was their design to keep her in their new settlement for the purpose of trade and commerce. June 10, 1620. Mr. Cushman, in a letter from London to Mr. Carver at Southampton,' says that Mr. Crabe, a minister, had promised to go, but is much oppressed, and is like to fail; and in a letter to the people at Leyden, that he had hired another pilot, one Mr. Clark, who went last year to Virginia; that he is getting a ship; hopes he shall make all ready at London in fourteen days, and would have Mr. Reynolds tarry in Holland and bring the ship thence to Southampton."3 But the time for their departure was at hand. "After much travail and turmoils and debates which they went through, things were gotten ready for their departure from Leyden." The little ship, the Speedwell, had been purchased, and was lying at Delft Haven, a commodious port on the Maas, twenty-four miles south of Leyden, all ready to transport those who were to go from the Leyden Church to meet others and a larger ship at Southampton. The Speedwell was a ship of only sixty (or as Smith & Purchase say, of seventy) tuns burthen, - smaller than the average size of the fishing smacks that go to the Grand Bank for cod-fish, - too small, it would seem, to cross an almost unknown ocean. Yet it was of the ordinary size of vessels of that day for such purposes. - In the meantime, Cushman had been actively engaged in the part assigned to him. He had hired at London a larger vessel, the Mayflower," of burden about nine score," and had sent her round to Southampton, there to meet his comrades from Holland. The Speedwell being ready, they had a day of solemn humiliation, their pastor taking for his text, Ezra, 8th chap. 21st verse: It is a singular fact that the truth of history is falsified in the great painting of the Embarkation of the Pilgrims at Delft Haven in Holland, now in the rotunda of the Capitol at Washington, by Wier, where Mr. Carver is represented as one of the foremost and most conspicuous characters in the painting; when in fact he was at that time at Southampton, actively engaged in making arrangements for their final departure. See Bradford's Journal. Clark was master's mate on board of the Mayflower. Clark's Island, in Plymouth Harbor, was named after him. 3 Bradford in Prince. Besides carrying The Mayflower has become a ship of world-wide renown. the Pilgrims safely to their destination, she was one of the five vessels, which in 1629, conveyed Higginson's Company to Salem, and also one of the fleet which in 1630 brought over Gov. Winthrop and his Colony to Massachusetts Bay.— Savage's Winthrop. "And there, at the river, by Ahava, I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek of him a right way for us, and for our children, and for all our substance." Upon which he spent a good part of the day very profitably and suitably to their present occasion. The rest of the time was spent in pouring out prayers to the Lord with great fervency, mixed with an abundance of tears. The Rev. Mr. Robinson's farewell discourse, a portion of which is included in "Winslow's Brief Narrative," contains sentiments far in advance of the age in which he lived, and which show him to have been a man of an enlarged, noble and truly Christian mind. As the ages advance, and men approximate nearer to a practice of the pure principles of Christ, such views as Mr. Robinson expressed to his little band of Puritan hearers, will be more and more appreciated, and will render his name "a burning and a shining light" among the distinguished divines of the Christian Church. We give a single extract from that remarkable dis course: "We are now, ere long to part asunder, and the Lord knoweth whether ever I shall live to see your faces again. But whether the Lord hath appointed it or not, I charge you before God and his blessed Angels to follow me no further than I follow Christ; and if God should reveal anything to you, by any other instrument of his, to be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth by my ministry; for I am very confident the Lord hath more truth and light yet to break forth out of his holy word." Blessed words! prophetic language! progressive thoughts! most Christian precepts! soon may the day arrive when such sentiments shall universally prevail. Then the millenium will be near at hand. "Such noble words and faith sublime, Are themes that through all coming time But the sad hour which was to separate these long tried and true friends, was at hand. "Farewell is a sad word, but it must be said," was the remark of the eloquent Kossuth. To them it 2 was desolate indeed; for it had but a slight hope of any future re-union. "They little thought how pure a light With years, should gather round that day; On leaving Leyden, where they had resided, they were accompanied to Delft Haven by their friends "to see them shipped and to take leave of them. So they left that goodly and pleasant city, which had been their resting place for near twelve years. But they knew they were PILGRIMS,' and looked not much on those things, but lifted up their eyes to Heaven, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits." It is probable that nearly the whole company accompanied those who were to depart, as far as Delft Haven, twenty-four miles, and there took a final farewell. "The night before they went was spent with little sleep," says Bradford, "but with friendly entertainment and Christian discourse and other real expressions of true Christian love." The next day, 22d July, 1620, O. S., everything being ready and the wind fair, they went on board, "when doleful was the sight of that sad and mournful parting." Hoisting sail, and with a prosperous wind, they soon arrived at Southampton,2 where they found the larger ship, the Mayflower, lying ready with all the rest of their company." Mr. Cushman and Mr. Jones,3 the mate of the Mayflower, with others who were to accompany them from England, had been waiting at Southampton for them seven days.1 "After a joyful welcome and mutual congratulations, with other friendly entertainments, they fell to parley about their proceedings. Seven hundred pounds sterling are laid out at Southampton, and they carry about seventeen hundred pounds venture with 1 The term Pilgrims, belongs exclusively to the Plymouth Colonists. -Young. Southampton is a seaport town in the south-westerly part of England, about seventy-three miles from London by land, and about two hundred miles by water, and it is about three hundred miles from Delft Haven in Holland. It was the rendezvous of seven of Winthrop's fleet, in 1630, and is now the stopping place of the mail steamers from Bremen to the United States. 3 Jones' River, in Kingston, Mass., hereafter spoken of in this work, was called after the mate of the Mayflower. Bradford in Prince. them; and Mr. Weston comes hither from London to see them dispatched." At length the hour of their departure draws nigh. The whole company were called together, and a farewell letter from their late Pastor, Rev. Mr. Robinson, is read to them. It contained the most affectionate and godly counsel, couched in language singularly appropriate and proper; and, says Bradford, "it had good acceptation with all and after-fruit with many." "Then they ordered and distributed their company for either ship, and chose a Governor and two or three Assistants for each ship, to order the people by the way and see to the disposing of the provisions." Every thing being in readiness, on Saturday the 5th day of August, O. S., 1620, the two vessels, the Mayflower and the Speedwell, set sail, having on board 120 persons besides the officers and sailors. Robert Cushman and his family were among that number. How many his family consisted of at that time we have no knowledge. In the spring of 1621, when he went over to Plymouth, we have reason to suppose he had no wife and but one son, a boy then fourteen years of age. "But alas," says Bradford, "the best enterprises oftentimes meet with many discouragements. They had been at sea but a short time before Capt. Reynolds, the master of the Speedwell, complained that he found his vessel so leaky that he durst not go further to sea. Both vessels, therefore, put back, and on the 13th of August went into Dartmouth,' one of the nearest English ports. After remaining there eight days and thoroughly repairing the lesser ship, she was judged sufficient for the voyage by the workmen that mended her, and both vessels again unfurled their sails and proceeded on their voyage on Monday the 21st of August. But difficulties are yet in their way. The Puritans are not to be exempt from the ordinary laws of humanity. They are to be made strong and powerful by trials, disappointments, vicissitudes. They had not sailed more than two or three days, a distance of some three hundred miles, when Capt. Reynolds again became 1 Dartmouth is a small port in the south-western part of England, on the British Channel. alarmed, and pronounced his ship unseaworthy and in danger. Thereupon both ships bore up again and went into Plymouth.' Bradford says it was afterwards ascertained that it was not so much the leaky and unsound condition of the Speedwell, that caused her master to report her unsafe, as it was his treachery and cowardice; for on searching her again "no great matter appeared." These things thus falling out, it was finally resolved by the whole to dismiss the lesser ship (the Speedwell) and part of the company with her, and that the other part of the company should proceed in the bigger ship, (the Mayflower). And here a difficult task arose, to determine who should go and who should remain; for a part must be left behind, as the Mayflower could not carry the whole. Prince says, "they agree to dismiss her (the Speedwell) and those who were willing to return to London, though this was very grievous and discouraging; Mr. Cushman and family returning with them." The probabilities are, that in determining who should go, the strong, resolute and healthy were selected; and the others of an opposite health and temperament remained. Robert Cushman, having been one of the chief managers of the enterprise, was undoubtedly selected to return to London with those who were in the Speedwell, for the purpose of taking care of them and of facilitating their trans-shipment at a future time. His deep interest in the plan of emigration, his zeal and self-sacrificing spirit, and his strong attachment to the Puritan cause, all show, most conclusively, that it was not from any wavering mind or pusillanimous spirit, or from any discouragement whatever, that caused him to return; but, on the other hand, the success and best interests of his associates required it. Those who went back, undoubtedly needed a leader and head. For such a sta tion he was admirably qualified. However "grievous and discouraging" it was to him, as Bradford remarks, duty was his ruling principle. If he could do more good and prosper the enterprise by remaining in England for the present, managing the affairs of the Company there, and providing for those who could 1 Plymouth is a small town on the British Channel, not far from Land's End, the south-westerly point of England, about 215 miles by land from London. |